Support Needy Israeli Children

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$29.00

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KOI032

Many children in Israel live below the poverty line with one in three children affected.

The OECD average of child poverty is 13 percent; Israel is in last place of the OECD rank. Around 750,000 children in Israel are affected by poverty, mostly among the Arab and ultra-Orthodox communities.

In general, the larger a family is the higher the probability that they will be affected by poverty. According to the Israel National Children's Council's 2014 report, almost half of all families with four children and 60 percent of families with five or more children were classified as poor.

Mini Israel

Any day of the week, family chatter and the happy shouts of children fill the air at Mini Israel. In its eleventh year of popularity, the park offers a tour of Israel in miniature. Conveniently situated in the foothills near Jerusalem, and just a half hour from Israel's tourist hub, Tel Aviv, the venue is accessible by car and by bus.

The layout of the park is in the shape of a Magen David (Star of David). Each triangle represents a different geographical area of Israel and exhibits historical, cultural and religious sites on a scale of 1:25 that are of importance to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The models include miniature garden landscaping, action figures, sound and light. Signs are in Hebrew, English and Arabic. Recently, a 3D MiniMax aerial movie of Israeli sites has become an added attraction. A restaurant, coffee shop and kiosks offer refreshments, and gift shops sell souvenirs.

What more could an Israeli child want on a summer vacation day? But add up the return busfare for the typical larger Israeli family; the entrance fee, one price on tourist level for five years old and up; refreshments, even if these are prepared and brought from home; souvenirs – hard to refuse a little one's longing plea – and even a day's outing can make a significant dent in the average family's monthly budget. Recreation, however educational and family-oriented it may be, is an unaffordable luxury for too many children in Israel today.

For just $15 you can help a child in need in Israel. Click here *AND all this summer, Israel Today will match your donation. Let us bless the heart of God together.